Springfield aldermen are pumping the brakes on a proposed three-year, $3.75 million contract with NAPA Auto Parts to be the supplier for the city’s fleet.

The proposal from Mayor Mike Houston’s administration is part of the ongoing effort to consolidate Springfield’s four maintenance garages. NAPA would set up a parts shop in the garage and would sell the city most parts at cost plus 10 percent. The city also would reimburse NAPA for the cost of staffing the shop with two of its own employees, Budget Director Bill McCarty said.

But aldermen want to know more about how NAPA was selected and whether consideration was given to local companies. They decided at their committee of the whole meeting Tuesday to leave the proposal in committee rather than placing it on the agenda for a vote next week.

Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson asked McCarty, whose office is overseeing the garage consolidation, to provide a detailed, written explanation of how the proposed contract came together.

“I would like for Mr. McCarty to come back ... and let this council know many more particulars about (the proposed ordinance): who bid, how the agreement … came about, who was part of the agreement?” Simpson said. “I need all of those questions answered. I need to know if consideration was given to local vendors.”

Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards said that, while he supports the garage consolidation, the council needs to do its due diligence before signing off on the parts shop proposal. He said he heard from local businesses that felt they weren’t given a chance to compete for the contract.

“We get a chance to go back to them and say, ‘We did our due diligence, and this is why they were picked,’” Edwards said.

An attorney representing Kevin Pierce, owner The Brake and Clutch Exchange, 418 S. 11th St., also addressed the council to ask for more information about the selection process.

“What this boils down to is whether or not there have been sufficient alternatives reviewed for looking into this contract,” attorney Chad Skarpiak said.

McCarty said he emailed aldermen information about the proposal on Feb. 28.

The contract was procured through the National Joint Powers Alliance, a contracting cooperative to which the city belongs. The Minnesota-based organization “did all the heavy lifting” in reviewing proposals for similar services, McCarty said.

The proposal also has the backing of the Sangamon County Citizens’ Efficiency Commission, which reviewed similar arrangements in Chicago and Aurora.

As for concerns about local businesses being involved, McCarty said NAPA qualifies as a local business because it has stores in the city. In addition, NAPA has made it clear that it will look to purchase parts it doesn’t have in stock at the city garage through local businesses, he said.

Page 2 of 2 - McCarty said the city stands to save about $200,000 a year on parts and another $350,000 on personnel costs through the contract on top of other savings expected as a result of the consolidation. A previous study estimated the city could save about $1.3 million annually after the first year by consolidating.

“At the end of the day, the council has a policy decision to make,” McCarty said. “Is our main concern or main priority going to be subsidizing local capitalism, or is our main concern going to be saving taxpayers and ratepayers over half a million dollars a year?”

McCarty said he hopes aldermen vote on the contract next week. Not doing so could further delay the opening of the consolidated garage, which is targeted for June, he said.

In other business, aldermen gave the green light to a plan to spend a $1.54 million from the city’s downtown tax increment financing district to purchase the block bounded by Fourth Street, Capitol Avenue, Fifth Street and Jackson Street from the state. The city also plans to use TIF money to buy three parcels on which the former YWCA building sits from 310 East Adams LLC for no more than $25,000. A final vote is expected next week.

Houston has said the block could anchor a new downtown TIF district when the current one expires in 2016.

Mike Farmer, the city’s economic development director, said the purchase has been at least a decade in the making.

The next steps after buying the land include selecting a committee to oversee the redevelopment and putting together a request for proposals from developers, Farmer said.

The city envisions a mixture of residential, retail and office space, along with green space and parking, he said.

“We’ve got a long way to go, but I think this is a positive move forward,” said Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe, who represents the area.